Beauty

10 Tips for Growing Strong, Healthy Nails

Having great nails can give anyone a confidence boost. This might be why it’s popular for women to lacquer their nails in thousands of different colors and patterns. But nails can get brittle and break pretty easily. The best way to avoid a broken nail is to have strong nails to begin with.

So, how do you grow healthy nails?

Here are a few tricks you can use to toughen them up.

Photo Credit: Founder Co

Leave your cuticles alone.

Unfortunately, pushing back your cuticles–while “required” in many different nail styles–hurts your nails. Cuticles protect your nails from bacteria and fungus, so pushing them back really isn’t a great idea.

Don’t bite your nails.

It may seem obvious, but biting your nails is not good for them. It stresses your nails and creates bumps that can cause even more damage.

Drink water and eat healthy.

Don’t forget that nails are a part of your body. Feeding your body healthy food will help strengthen your nails and promote further growth. Water contains lots of minerals, so drinking plenty of it will also promote stronger longer nails.

Don’t peel off your nail polish.

Pealing nail polish off your fingers aggravates your nails and may lead to damage. It’s not a good idea. Use nail polish remover instead. If you must peel and pick, then stick your fingers in warm water beforehand.

Beware of nail polish as a whole.

Most lacquers have some pretty harsh chemicals in them that are not good for your nails. To avoid that, try to use chemical-free nail polish. If not, then don’t drown your nails in polish. Paint a thin layer, wait at least a minute, then paint another thin layer. You don’t want to leave nail polish on the nails for too long either; your nails can’t breathe and may turn yellow.

Photo Credit: Claudia Peters

If cleaning with chemicals, wear leather gloves.

The chemicals in your everyday cleaners wear down and weaken your nails. Wearing a pair of gloves, however, can protect them. This also applies to hand sanitizer. While it kills off germs, it isn’t good for your nails. Try to avoid applying it on them at all, if possible.

Stay dry.

Water dilutes nails. Nails suck in the water, almost like a sponge. They need time to dry after a shower, swim, or even washing your hands.

Stay warm.

As winter nears, make sure you protect your nails from the cold. Cold air can make your nails extremely fragile and easy to snap, as it dries them out. Consider moisturizing your hands often to battle the cold’s effects.

Don’t use your nails as a letter opener!

Sharp nails may seem helpful for breaking off a seal or cutting through some tape, but avoid it if you can! This strains the nails, weakening them and leading to more breaks, which weakens your nails even more.

File rough edges.

If you don’t have smooth nails, you’re leaving them open for more abrasions and damage. Always remember to file.

These simple tricks are sure to help strengthen your nails. It’s okay to break one rule every now and then, but if you want healthy nails, try to stick to them as much as possible. Nails can give any Gen-Y woman a more professional look, helping her land a job or earn some respect in the workplace. Plus, they can provide quite the confidence boost.

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